Welp: Five-Star Wideout Julian Fleming Commits to Ohio State

In a move that was expected for the last few weeks or so, five-star Pennsylvania wideout Julian Fleming announced his commitment to Ohio State, choosing the Buckeyes over offers from everywhere, but most notably, the in-state Nittany Lions.

There’s no way around it: this is a brutal loss for James Franklin and Co. on the recruiting trail. Fleming lives just 1.5 hours away from State College, was a Penn State fan growing up, and has been a priority recruit for the staff since his freshman year of high school. For the majority of that process, it’s fair to say Penn State led too, so to see Fleming end up elsewhere, is a major blow.

Despite the loss of Fleming, the Nittany Lions are actually beginning to pick things up on the recruiting trail after a bumpy-ish start to the recruiting process. Another top 15 class seems like a good bet, and with a strong on-the-field performance in 2019, it could push itself into top 10 category. But that won’t make up for some five-star losses this spring, as seeing Bryan Bresee and Julian Fleming trend away from Happy Valley will surely leave a sour taste in the coaching staff’s mouth no matter how the recruiting class finishes.